Getting Started Guide

Appendix A
Keyboard Shortcuts
Copyright
This document is Copyright 20072008 by its contributors as listed
in the section titled Authors. You may distribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of either the GNU General Public License, version 3 or
later, or the Creative Commons Attribution License, version 3.0 or
later.
All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Authors
Peter Hillier-Brook
Jean Hollis Weber

Feedback
Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to:
authors@user-faq.openoffice.org

Publication date and software version

Published 13 October 2008. Based on OpenOffice.org 3.0.

You can download

an editable version of this document from
http://oooauthors.org/en/authors/userguide3/published/
Contents
Copyright...............................................................................................2
Introduction...........................................................................................4
Function key shortcuts...........................................................................5
General shortcut keys for OpenOffice.org..............................................5
Shortcut keys in the Gallery...................................................................7
In the New Theme area of the Gallery................................................7
In the Gallery preview area................................................................7
Selecting rows and columns in a database table (opened by F4)...........8
Shortcut keys for drawing objects.........................................................8

Keyboard Shortcuts 3
Introduction
You can use OpenOffice.org (OOo) without requiring a pointing device,
such as a mouse or trackball, by using its built-in keyboard shortcuts.
Tasks as varied and complex as docking and un-docking toolbars and
windows, or changing the size or position of objects, can all be
accomplished with only a keyboard.
OOo has a general set of keyboard shortcuts, available in all
components, and a component-specific set directly related to the work
of that component (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, and Base). This
appendix lists the general set. For component-specific shortcuts, see
the relevant component guide.
For help with OOos keyboard shortcuts, or using OOo with a keyboard
only, search the OOo Help using the shortcut or accessibility
keywords.
In addition to using the built-in keyboard shortcuts listed in this
Appendix, you can define your own. See Chapter 14 (Customizing
OpenOffice.org) for instructions.

Some of the shortcut keys may be assigned to your desktop

system. Keys that are assigned to the desktop system are not
Note available to OOo. Try to assign different keys either for OOo
(described in Chapter 14), or for your desktop system (see your
systems documentation).

4 Keyboard Shortcuts
Function key shortcuts
Shortcut Keys Result
F1 Starts the OpenOffice.org Help.
In the OpenOffice.org Help: jumps to main help page.
Shift+F1 Activates Whats This? (extended tip) help for the
mouse pointer, which turns into a question mark.
Move the pointer over an item (command, icon or
control) to view the extended tip.
Shift+F2 Displays an extended tip for the item (command, icon
or control) currently selected by using the keyboard.
Ctrl+F4 or Alt+F4 Closes the current document. Closes OpenOffice.org
when the last open document is closed.
F6 Sets focus in next subwindow.
Shift+F6 Sets focus in previous subwindow.
F10 Activates the first menu (File menu).
Shift+F10 Opens the context (pop-up) menu.
Ctrl+F11 Opens the Style Catalog.

General shortcut keys for OpenOffice.org

Shortcut Keys Result
Enter key Activates the focused button in a dialog.
Esc Terminates the action or dialog. If in OpenOffice.org
Help: goes up one level.
Spacebar Toggles the focused checkbox in a dialog.
Arrow keys Changes the active control field in an option section
of a dialog.
Tab Advances focus to the next section or element in a
dialog.
Shift+Tab Moves the focus to the previous section or element
in a dialog.
Alt+Down Arrow Opens the list of the control field currently selected
in a dialog. This shortcut applies to combo boxes
and to icon buttons with pop-up menus. Close an
opened list by pressing the Esc key.
Del Deletes the selected items into the recycle bin.
Shift+Del Deletes the selected items without putting them in
the recycle bin.

General shortcut keys for OpenOffice.org 5

Shortcut Keys Result
Backspace When a folder is shown: goes up one level (goes
back).
Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar Removes direct formatting from selected text or
objects (as in Format > Default Formatting).
Ctrl+Tab When positioned at the start of a header, a tab is
inserted.
Enter (if an OLE Activates the selected OLE object.
object is selected)
Enter (if a drawing Activates text input mode.
object or text object is
selected)
Ctrl+O Opens a document.
Ctrl+S Saves the current document.
Ctrl+N Creates a new document.
Shift+Ctrl+N Opens the Templates and Documents dialog.
Ctrl+P Prints the document.
Ctrl+Q Exits the application.
Ctrl+X Cuts the selected items.
Ctrl+C Copies the selected items.
Ctrl+V Pastes from the clipboard.
Ctrl+Shift+V Opens the Paste Special dialog.
Ctrl+A Selects all.
Ctrl+Z Undoes last action.
Ctrl+Y Redoes last action.
Ctrl+Shift+Y Repeats last command.
Ctrl+F Calls the Find & Replace dialog.
Ctrl+Shift+F Searches for the last entered search term.
Ctrl+Shift+J Toggles the view between fullscreen mode and
normal mode in Writer or Calc.
Ctrl+Shift+R Refreshes (redraws) the document view.
Ctrl+Shift+I Enables or disables the selection cursor in read-only
text.
Ctrl+I Applies the Italic attribute to the selected area or
the word in which the cursor is positioned.
Ctrl+B Applies the Bold attribute to the selected area or
the word in which the cursor is positioned.
Ctrl+U Applies the Underlined attribute to the selected
area or the word in which the cursor is positioned.

6 Keyboard Shortcuts
Shortcut keys in the Gallery
Shortcut Keys Result
Tab Moves between areas.
Shift+Tab Moves between areas (backwards).

In the New Theme area of the Gallery

Shortcut keys Result
Up arrow Moves the selection up.
Down arrow Moves the selection down.
Ctrl+Enter Opens the Properties dialog.
Shift+F10 Opens a context menu.
Ctrl+U Refreshes the selected theme.
Ctrl+R Opens the Enter Title dialog.
Ctrl+D Deletes the selected theme.
Insert Inserts a new theme.

In the Gallery preview area

Shortcut keys Result
Home Jumps to the first entry.
End Jumps to the last entry.
Left Arrow Selects the next Gallery element on the left.
Right Arrow Selects the next Gallery element on the right.
Up Arrow Selects the next Gallery element above.
Down Arrow Selects the next Gallery element below.
Page Up Scrolls up one screen.
Page Down Scrolls down one screen.
Ctrl+Shift+Insert Inserts the selected object as a linked object into the
current document.
Ctrl+I Inserts a copy of the selected object into the current
document.
Ctrl+T Opens the Enter Title dialog.
Ctrl+P Switches between themes view and object view.
Spacebar Switches between themes view and object view.
Enter Switches between themes view and object view.
Step backward Switches back to main overview (only in object view).

Shortcut keys in the Gallery 7

Selecting rows and columns in a database
table (opened by F4)
Shortcut keys Result
Spacebar Toggles row selection, except when the row is in
edit mode.
Ctrl+spacebar Toggles row selection.
Shift+spacebar Selects the current column.
Ctrl+PgUp Moves pointer to the first row.
Ctrl+PgDn Moves pointer to the last row.

Shortcut keys for drawing objects

Shortcut keys Result
Select the toolbar with Inserts a Drawing Object.
F6. Use the Down
Arrow and Right
Arrow to select the
desired toolbar icon
and press Ctrl+Enter.
Select the document Selects a Drawing Object.
with Ctrl+F6 and
press Tab
Tab Selects the next Drawing Object.
Shift+Tab Selects the previous Drawing Object.
Ctrl+Home Selects the first Drawing Object.
Ctrl+End Selects the last Drawing Object.
Esc Ends Drawing Object selection.
Esc (in Handle Exits Handle Selection Mode and returns to Object
Selection Mode) Selection Mode.
Up/down/left/right Moves the selected point (the snap-to-grid
arrow functions are temporarily disabled, but end points
still snap to each other).

8 Keyboard Shortcuts
 Alt+Up/Down/Left/ Moves the selected Drawing Object one pixel (in
Right Arrow Selection Mode).
Re-sizes a Drawing Object (in Handle Selection
Mode).
Rotates a Drawing Object (in Rotation Mode).
Opens the properties dialog for a Drawing Object.
Activates the Point Selection mode for the selected
drawing object.
Spacebar Selects a point of a drawing object (in Point
Selection mode) or cancels the selection.
The selected point blinks once per second.
Shift+Spacebar Selects an additional point in Point Selection mode.
Ctrl+Tab Selects the next point of the drawing object (Point
Selection mode).
In Rotation mode, the centre of rotation can also be
selected.
Shift+Ctrl+Tab Selects the previous point of the drawing object
(Point Selection mode).
Ctrl+Enter Places a new drawing object with default size in
the centre of the current view.
Ctrl+Enter at the Activates the first drawing object in the document.
Selection icon
Esc Leaves the Point Selection mode. The drawing
object is selected afterwards.
Edits a point of a drawing object (Point Edit mode).
Any text or numerical If a drawing object is selected, switches to edit
key mode and places the cursor at the end of the text in
the drawing object. A printable character is
inserted.

Shortcut keys for drawing objects 9